Maser radiation from collisionless shocks: application to astrophysical jets

Authors

D C. Speirs, University of Strathclyde
A D R Phelps, University of Strathclyde
M E. Koepke, West Virginia University
R A. Cairns, University of St. Andrews
A Rigby, University of Oxford
F Cruz, Universidade de Lisboa
R M G M Trines, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
R Bamford, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
B J. Kellet, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
B Albertazzi, Universite ́ Paris VI Ecole Polytechnique
J E. Cross, University of Oxford
F Fraschetti, University of Arizona
P Graham, Aldermaston, Reading
P M. Kozlowski, University of Oxford
Y Kuramitsu, National Central University
F Miniati, University of Oxford
T Morita, Osaka University
M Oliver, University of Oxford
B Reville, Queen’s University Belfast
Y Sakawa, Osaka University
S Sarkar, University of Oxford
C Spindloe, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
M Koenig, Universite ́ Paris VI Ecole Polytechnique
L O. Silva, Universidade de Lisboa
D Q. Lamb, University of Chicago
P Tzeferacos, University of Oxford
S Lebedev, Imperial College London
G Gregori, University of Oxford
R Bingham, University of Strathclyde

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2019

College/Unit

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department/Program/Center

Physics and Astronomy

Abstract

This paper describes a model of electron energization and cyclotron-maser emission applicable to astrophysical magnetized collisionless shocks. It is motivated by the work of Begelman, Ergun and Rees [Astrophys. J. 625, 51 (2005)] who argued that the cyclotron-maser instability occurs in localized magnetized collisionless shocks such as those expected in blazar jets. We report on recent research carried out to investigate electron acceleration at collisionless shocks and maser radiation associated with the accelerated electrons. We describe how electrons accelerated by lower-hybrid waves at collisionless shocks generate cyclotron-maser radiation when the accelerated electrons move into regions of stronger magnetic fields. The electrons are accelerated along the magnetic field and magnetically compressed leading to the formation of an electron velocity distribution having a horseshoe shape due to conservation of the electron magnetic moment. Under certain conditions the horseshoe electron velocity distribution function is unstable to the cyclotron-maser instability [Bingham and Cairns, Phys. Plasmas 7, 3089 (2000); Melrose, Rev. Mod. Plasma Phys. 1, 5 (2017)].

Digital Commons Citation

Speirs, D C.; Phelps, A D R; Koepke, M E.; Cairns, R A.; Rigby, A; Cruz, F; Trines, R M G M; Bamford, R; Kellet, B J.; Albertazzi, B; Cross, J E.; Fraschetti, F; Graham, P; Kozlowski, P M.; Kuramitsu, Y; Miniati, F; Morita, T; Oliver, M; Reville, B; Sakawa, Y; Sarkar, S; Spindloe, C; Koenig, M; Silva, L O.; Lamb, D Q.; Tzeferacos, P; Lebedev, S; Gregori, G; and Bingham, R, "Maser radiation from collisionless shocks: application to astrophysical jets" (2019). Faculty & Staff Scholarship. 2329.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/faculty_publications/2329

Source Citation

Speirs, D. C., Ronald, K., Phelps, A. D. R., Koepke, M. E., Cairns, R. A., Rigby, A., Cruz, F., Trines, R. M. G. M., Bamford, R., J. Kellett, B., Albertazzi, B., Cross, J. E., Fraschetti, F., Graham, P., Kozlowski, P. M., Kuramitsu, Y., Miniati, F., Morita, T., Oliver, M., … Bingham, R. (2019). Maser radiation from collisionless shocks: application to astrophysical jets. High Power Laser Science and Engineering, 7. https://doi.org/10.1017/hpl.2019.3

Comments

© The Author(s) 2019 This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.